Digger for rhizomes and the like

Abstract

An apparatus for harvesting rhizomes includes a chassis to move in a field. Coulter disks mounted on a forward end of the chassis break up soil on a top surface of the field. Digger blades aft of the coulter disks scoop clusters of rhizomes from the field with adhered soil. An inclined ramp on the chassis has a live bottom that pushes the rhizome clusters up the ramp in the aft direction including upright posts that force the clusters of rhizomes against depending obstructers extending downward from superstructure bars toward the live bottom. As the clusters encounter the obstructers, the clusters are broken to reduce their size and to loosen and separate soil from the rhizomes. A collector aft of the live bottom collects rhizomes falling from an aft end of the inclined ramp.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for harvesting rhizomes from a field of soil in which rhizome-bearing plants have grown comprising
 a chassis having wheels to move in a primary direction over an area of the field in which rhizome-bearing plants have grown, the primary direction defining a forward and aft sense, 
 coulter disks on a forward end of the chassis, 
 digger blades aft of the coulter disks, 
 an inclined ramp on the chassis having a live bottom mounted to move clusters of rhizomes up the ramp in the aft direction including upright posts that move over the live bottom to catch and push the clusters of rhizomes up the inclined ramp, 
 the ramp provided with superstructure bars extending above the live bottom and having obstructers extending downward from the superstructure bars toward the live bottom, and 
 a collector aft of the live bottom to collect rhizomes falling from an aft end of the inclined ramp, 
 whereby as the chassis moves over the field of rhizome-bearing plants, the coulter disks break up soil on a top surface of the field, the digger blades scoop clusters of rhizomes from the field with adhered soil, the upright posts on the live bottom catch and push clusters of rhizomes and soil up the inclined ramp and as clusters encounter the obstructers, the cluster is broken reduce its size and to loosen and separate soil from the rhizomes, and the rhizomes are collected by the collector. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the live bottom includes endless chains on left and right sides of the live bottom and a drive mechanism to drive the chains in endless paths parallel to one another at left and right sides of the live bottom, cross-members connecting the endless chains across the live bottom and the upright posts are mounted on at least one of the cross-members that move over the live bottom as the endless chains are driven. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the upright posts are spaced apart from one another and obstructers are spaced apart from one another and as the upright posts move upward on the inclined ramp as least some of the upright posts pass between the obstructers, so that rhizome clusters being carried by the upright posts impact the obstructers. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the collector includes a second inclined ramp extending from the chassis and having a live bottom mounted to move rhizomes up the second inclined ramp including upright posts that move over the second live bottom to catch and push rhizomes up the second inclined ramp to allow the rhizomes to be dropped into a transport container. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the obstructers have sharpened edges facing the forward direction so that they can divide rhizome clusters into smaller clusters. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein tines downstream of the digger blades have an aft end that is pivotally mounted to the chassis, and agitators for the tines mounted on the chassis cause front ends of the tines to move up and down by pivoting about the pivotal mount at the aft end of the tines as the chassis moves over the field of rhizome-bearing plants. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the chassis has a hitch to enable the apparatus to be pulled over the field of rhizome-bearing plants. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the chassis has a forwardly-extending rotatable shaft to connect to a power take-off on a tractor and mechanical linkages to drive the live bottom to move the rhizomes up the ramp. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the digger blades are in line with the coulter disks in the primary direction, so that the coulter disks cut through crop residue and divide the soil along lines in the direction of travel to cause divisions laterally to be followed by the digger blades extending down into the soil to scoop up clusters of rhizomes. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus for harvesting rhizomes from a field of soil in which rhizome-bearing plants have grown comprising
 a chassis having wheels to move in a primary direction over an area of the field in which rhizome-bearing plants have grown, the primary direction defining a forward and aft sense and a hitch to enable the apparatus to be pulled forward over the field of rhizome-bearing plants, the chassis also having a forwardly-extending rotatable shaft to connect to a power take-off on a tractor, 
 coulter disks on a forward end of the chassis, 
 aft of the coulter disks, blades to dig rhizomes from the ground are followed by tines that have an aft end that is pivotally mounted to the chassis and agitators for the tines mounted on the chassis to cause front ends of the tines to move up and down by pivoting about the pivotal mount at the aft end of the tines as the chassis moves over the field of rhizome-bearing plants, 
 an inclined ramp on the chassis having a live bottom mounted to move rhizomes up the ramp in the aft direction including upright posts that move over the live bottom to catch and push rhizomes up the inclined ramp, including endless chains on left and right sides of the live bottom and a drive mechanism driven by power from the rotatable shaft to drive the chains in endless paths parallel to one another at left and right sides of the live bottom, cross-members connecting the endless chains across the live bottom and the upright posts are mounted on at least one of the cross-members that move over the live bottom as the endless chains are driven, 
 the ramp provided with superstructure bars extending above the live bottom and having obstructers extending downward from the superstructure bars toward the live bottom, wherein the upright posts are spaced apart from one another and the obstructers are spaced apart from one another and have sharpened edges facing the forward direction, so as the upright posts move upward on the inclined ramp as least some of the upright posts pass between the obstructers, so that rhizome clusters being carried by the upright posts impact and are divided into smaller clusters by the obstructers, and 
 a collector aft of the live bottom including a second inclined ramp extending from the chassis and having a live bottom mounted to move rhizomes up the second inclined ramp including upright posts that move over the live bottom to catch and push rhizomes up the inclined ramp to allow the rhizomes to be dropped into a transport container, 
 whereby as the chassis moves over the field of rhizome-bearing plants, the coulter disks break up soil on a top surface of the field, the digger blades scoop clusters of rhizomes from the field with adhered soil, the upright posts on the live bottom catch and push clusters of rhizomes and soil up the inclined ramp and as clusters encounter the obstructers, the cluster is broken reduce its size and to loosen and separate soil from the rhizomes, and the rhizomes are collected by the collector. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the digger blades are in line with the coulter disks in the primary direction, so that the coulter disks cut through crop residue and divide the soil along lines in the direction of travel to cause divisions laterally to be followed by the digger blades extending down into the soil to scoop up clusters of rhizomes. 
     
     
       12. A method of harvesting rhizomes from a field of soil in which rhizome-bearing plants have grown comprising
 breaking up soil on a top surface of the field, 
 scooping clusters of rhizomes from broken up soil in the field with soil adhered to the rhizomes, 
 catching the clusters of scooped rhizomes on a mechanism that has upright posts that push the clusters of rhizomes to a location where the upright posts pass between obstructers so that clusters of rhizomes encounter the obstructers to reduce the size of the clusters and loosen and separate soil from the clusters of rhizomes, and 
 collecting the reduced-size clusters of rhizomes. 
 
     
     
       13. The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the mechanism that pushes the clusters of rhizomes and the obstructers cooperate to force the reduction in size of the clusters of rhizomes. 
     
     
       14. The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the obstructers cut the clusters to reduced size. 
     
     
       15. The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein catching and pushing the clusters of rhizomes includes pushing the clusters up a slope, so that separated soil can fall back down the slope to return to the field. 
     
     
       16. The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein collecting the reduced-size clusters of rhizomes includes pushing the clusters up a second slope, so that separated soil can fall to return to the field. 
     
     
       17. The method as claimed in  claim 16  wherein pushing the clusters up a second slope includes pushing the clusters up a perforated slope so separated soil can fall through the perforations to return to the field. 
     
     
       18. A method of harvesting rhizomes from a field of soil in which rhizome-bearing plants have grown comprising
 breaking up soil on a top surface of the field, 
 scooping clusters of rhizomes from broken up soil in the field with soil adhered to the rhizomes, 
 catching the clusters of scooped rhizomes on a mechanism that has upright posts that push the clusters of rhizomes to a location where the upright posts pass between obstructers and clusters of rhizomes encounter the obstructers that cooperate with the upright posts to cut and reduce the size of the clusters and loosen and separate soil from the clusters of rhizomes, 
 pushing the clusters up a slope, so that separated soil can fall back down the slope to return to the field, and 
 collecting the reduced-size clusters of rhizomes including pushing the clusters up a second, perforated slope, so that separated soil can fall through the perforations to return to the field.